Brand new indoor football venue with 'wow factor' opens in Northampton
A brand new indoor football venue has opened in Northampton – and its owner promises it has the ‘wow factor’.
Soccer Shack, a new football facility at Kingsfield Business Park on Gladstone Road, Kings Heath, celebrated its grand opening last week and has quickly become a popular destination.
Managing Director Lee Haines said: “It’s been really, really popular so far. The holiday clubs have been really well received. We’ve had an awful lot of children on the daily holiday clubs, which are available from £40 a head from 8am to 4pm, which means parents can drop off their children before work.”
Lee, who is well-known in the community, particularly in the football scene, shared the personal journey behind Soccer Shack. He said: “Soccer Shack was a dream of mine about eight years ago. The dream started when my oldest son had a birthday party, he’s a December baby, and it was very cold and wet and it wasn’t a very good experience. And I thought, I can do this. There was a gap in the market and I exploited it, really. There’s been a lot of investment into this, a lot of sleepless nights, tears, tantrums, blood and all that comes with it. We’re really excited that it’s going to be successful.”
Turning his dream into reality, Lee and his team—Executive Director Sam Duggan and Operations Director Jack Rose—have created a vibrant hub for footballers in the town. Lee said: "I think people have got to come and see this for themselves. Until you see the place, I don’t think you can understand the wow factor.”
Soccer Shack offers a variety of features designed to cater to all ages and needs. The facility boasts two ‘top-quality’ 3G indoor football pitches available for hire by the half hour and hour, priced at £80. The venue also provides unique birthday party experiences through its "stadium experience" packages. The Ballerz package costs £325 for 12 children, while the Tekkerz package is £375. Parties can accommodate up to 16 children with an additional £20 per head.
Lee said: “We’ve got everything. We do one-to-one sessions, two-to-one sessions, and group sessions with professional coaches. Our specialty is birthday parties, which we elevate to a stadium experience. The minute children walk through the doors, they’re marshalled to a funky dressing room, given a football kit with a captain’s armband, and experience a light show and sound system that integrates into the party. It’s been really nice to see the feedback, with many saying, ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.’”
The facility also includes a Soccer Teq table, akin to table tennis but for football, and a multi-purpose tennis room that can be used as a paddle court. The Soccer IM rooms offer an immersive digital experience with large screens and interactive games, suitable for all ages and accessible to disabled groups.
Lee stressed that the venue is available to everyone: “Anyone can play and hire the courts for 30 minutes or an hour. It’s all available to book on our website. We can have walk-ins too.”
Soccer Shack, which underwent a six-week conversion, can accommodate up to 120 people and is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 10pm, and on weekends and bank holidays from 8am to 10pm. It has created around 20 jobs.